I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 1-4.

I love reading the writings of the prophet Isaiah.  In chapter 2, he conveys a promise from God the fulfillment of should be everyone’s desire.  In the last days, people from every nation will seek God’s teaching and will desire to walk according to His way.  God will mediate between nations and peoples.  When that day truly arrives nation will no longer fight against nation.  They will not even train for war.  Those of us who seek to follow God’s will for our lives should seek to live as if that day has come, but need to recognize that it has not yet come for those around us.  In today’s world, I want to point out that to the original readers this would have meant both nations as we understand them today and ethnic groups as well.  This prophecy tells us that all people are welcome to become part of God’s people.

After making the promise that the day will come when nations will no longer make war on each other, Isaiah condemns the people of Judah.  While they are rich and powerful, they have chosen to fill their land with idols and sin.  Instead of following God’s commands and living according to God’s directions, they have chosen to follow the practices of the pagans around them.  He tells them that they may now be powerful, rich, and proud, but soon God will humble them.  They will crawl into caves to hide from God’s judgement.  At the peak of their power and wealth, they abandoned God’s instructions and instead adopted the cultural norms of those who rejected God.  Instead of trusting God, they put their trust in human power, they put their trust in their government.  Rather than seek justice for all, they oppressed their neighbors and ridiculed their elders, they sneered at those who lived, or had lived, honorable lives.  Sound familiar?

They had brought destruction upon themselves and would pay the price for their sins.  In the middle of this warning of the destruction to come. Isaiah tells us that the godly will still be rewarded.  Destruction and suffering were coming for the people of Judah, but God would still protect those who remained faithful.  Destruction and suffering is coming to the people around us today, but God will still protect those who remain faithful.